


One Secret Maximum

by zarabithia



Category: Batman (Comics), Blue Beetle - Fandom, DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Bisexuality, Community: lgbtfest, Multi, Sexual Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-24
Updated: 2010-01-24
Packaged: 2017-10-06 15:44:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarabithia/pseuds/zarabithia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaime's secret identity is pretty easily shared. It's the other secret that gives him a lot of problems.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Secret Maximum

His mother meant well. Jaime knew this. So when she smiled at him and reminded him that he could tell her _anything_ with the kind of look that knew too much while inquiring on his social life (or lack there of), Jaime knew that it was supposed to be reassuring.

It might have been, if Jaime hadn't known exactly how his family had really reacted to Jorge. Maybe the reception to Jorge's coming out had _seemed_ reasonable to his conservative, religious family. True enough, there was no cliched disowning and not even any outward displays of overt disapproval.

But Jaime noticed the difference almost right away. He noticed how Jorge instantly became _your gay cousin Jorge_. He noticed all the disappointed little sighs his grandmother gave when she talked of Jorge's future. Wasn't it a shame, his grandmother noted sadly, that Jorge would have no wife, no children, no _family._

Considering everything he'd put his family through by becoming a superhero, Jaime didn't have any plans on telling his mother that his future didn't include a _family._

Nothing was more important to a Reyes than family.

Besides, Jaime wasn't even sure it was true. There was, after all, _Traci._

Traci was really hard for Jaime to figure out. She was a fantastic combination of Paco's enthusiasm and Brenda's steadiness and Jaime knew he cared for her.

He enjoyed kissing her, even. Not that Jamie knew what that meant.

Because he was pretty sure that if it was even a _remote_ possibility, he would have enjoyed kissing Paco too. He also knew that he looked forward more to seeing Robin on those rare occasions that he bothered to go to the Titans Tower more than he did Rose Wilson.

Not that he'd tell Robin that. Oh, _hell no_. The Teen Titans were even less likely to be accepting of differences in sexuality than Jaime's parents. Jaime did enjoy being a part-time, _sort of_ member of the Titans. He didn't really want to get kicked out, and he had no reason to believe that wouldn't be the Teen Titans reaction exactly.

So despite the very tempting suggestion of the Scarab to see far more of Robin than Jaime otherwise could have, Jaime tried to keep a mostly low profile while with the Titans. And somehow hacking the security cameras really didn't fit with low profile.

The Scarab wasn't very happy with him, and a night full of purposefully graphic details about the former exploits of Ted Kord and Booster Gold followed. Just to confuse him, as Jaime drifted off to sleep, the Scarab threw in some exploits about a gorgeous red-haired woman that the Scarab wouldn't name.

"Ted Kord seemed confused," Jaime murmured sleepily."

"Like Jaime," the Scarab explained simply. "Jaime/Traci/Paco. Jaime/Traci/Robin."

***********

A night full of Ted Kord themed graphic porn was not exactly conducive to sleep. So it was a cranky and exhausted Jaime that stumbled into the gym in the early morning to meet Robin for their first sparring session.

Despite the Peacemaker's efforts, Jaime's fighting skills did still sort of, well, suck. He could admit that much, and when Robin insisted on teaching him some fighting techniques, Jaime had only reluctantly agreed.  Rolling around on a gym mat with an object of your lust was not a good way to keep your secret, after all.

When Jaime walked in and saw what Robin was wearing, this was confirmed for him. For reasons that defied any explanation other than the universe hated him, Robin was wearing much less formal attire than Jaime had expected.

Gone was the Robin suit. In its place were jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.  The eyes were still covered, though, Jaime noted in disappointment.

He supposed that was to be expected. Robin valued his secret identity. That mostly amused Jaime, since he himself had practically no secret identity. Everyone,  from the resident supervillain to his family to the Justice League, knew his identity.

Kind of hard to keep a secret when your Scarab decides entirely on its own when to cover you in armor and when not to.

"Secret identities/no purpose," the Scarab opined. "Jaime=Blue Beetle. Blue Beetle = Jaime. Both same."

"Easy for you to say," he grumbled. At Robin's tilted head, Jaime explained, "I was talking to the Scarab."

Robin nodded, as though that made perfect sense. "I wore more casual clothes so that we could start with some basics out of uniform. I thought that would be less likely to set off the Scarab."

There were better words Robin could have chosen, Jaime thought, than "out of uniform." Surely.

"Do you think the Scarab will agree to that?" Robin asked.

"Scarab offered to show Jaime out of uniform Robin last night," the Scarab huffed.

"Please shut up," Jaime hissed. "And uh, yeah, I guess. I suppose I should feel offended that you're asking me to reveal my secret identity, but I have a sneaky suspicion you already know what it is."

Robin tilted his head again, more slightly this time. "Jaime Reyes," he noted. "Born and raised in El Paso, Texas."

"Not lacking in the confidence department at all," Jaime noted.

"All Robins have an abundance of self-confidence," the Scarab told Jaime. "The red-haired woman said that makes them good lovers."

"Not helpful," Jaime told the Scarab.

"Traci 13 might agree."

"Really not helpful," Jaime said with a sigh. To Robin, he asked, "I don't suppose I get to know your name?"

"No," Robin answered simply.

"The Justice League knew each other by name," the Scarab said, unhelpfully. "No secrets for teammates."

"Yeah, well, I'm not in the Justice League," Jaime reminded him.

Robin frowned at him. "What does the Justice League have to do with my identity?" he asked.

"Robin=Batman's sidekick," the Scarab offered. "Batman is in the Justice League. Batman more open with his teammates."

"Nothing, really," Jaime answered. "Look, I gotta change. Um, losing the costume kind of makes me naked."

It was the first time Jaime'd seen Robin actually smile since he'd been here. That smile looked awfully familiar. Maybe he'd ask the Scarab about it later.

"Wouldn't want that," Robin noted.

"His heart rate says otherwise," the Scarab offered.

Jaime ignored him as he went to change. After all, Robin already knew one of his secrets. And one secret, Jaime had learned, was the maximum amount people in his lives were allowed to know.

"The armor could have protected you from revealing your secret better," the Scarab noted as Jaime slipped into a pair of jeans.

"Trust me," Jaime said with a sigh. "I know."


End file.
